All because of a murderer
by I'll open my lungs dear
Summary: Two mental health nurses have a stay on the mile to assist a patient who is staying there until a spot at Briar Ridge opens up for him. Working with a mentally ill murderer is one hell of a roller coaster, but it may just be the best thing that ever happened to the shyer of the two nurses, as it helps to break her free with a new romance and new confidence. Percy Wetmore fanfiction
1. Chapter 1

Adaline sat with her eyes closed and her head resting on the cool metal of the moving car. Her scalp hitting the wall every once in awhile when a large bump in the road displaced her. Her fingers were clenched tightly around the white hat in her hands, and her bun was beginning to hurt as the bobby pins were digging into her. She was bouncing her right leg up and down nervously, a habit she had picked up since her move to Louisiana. The truck suddenly hit a pothole that caused both her and her companion to lurch forward in their seats. She could feel the anxiety she held in her stomach. It was like snakes were coiled in a ball, and they were ready to bite. She shook her head one more time, sighed. The twenty four year old jumped slightly when she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder. She looked to her side to spy the smiling face of her senior nurse. She wasn't too much older than Adaline, but the woman had been doing the job for quite some time before she was hired. Mrs. Stanton was what the girl addressed her as, not knowing her first name. "Don't be so nervous, it'll be fine." She paused and took a breath. "We won't have direct access to all the prisoners, and we will be surrounded by guards. Okay? So stop worrying, you don't want wrinkles in the pretty face of yours." The girl smiled in return and nodded her head, Mrs. Stanton always seemed to know how to calm her down. She spoke like a mother, and it comforted Adaline. The older woman gave her someone to lean on as she had no family, or even friends in the town where she lived. The south as a whole to be more specific.

Adeline moved out here for the job, needing desperately to get away from the congested cities as that is where the depression hit the hardest. She also lived alone in her house, not even an animal of any sorts to keep her company. A frown worked it's way the the girl's face as she realized how isolated she truly was. She turned to look out of the window, the glass was thick and a little dirty, but she could see bodies clad in black-and-white jump suits just up the road. They were using tools to break up the land and rock that was in front of them. The men had iron balls attached to their legs with a medium sized chain, and there were a few guards patrolling the lines of prisoners on horseback carrying shotguns. She felt pity strike at her for all of the people out there. It was a sweltering hot day and the sun shone down on them with a vengeance. She could see the sheen of sweat making the skin of the workers glisten, and the guards looked as if they were going to pass out under all that bulky clothing. Her nose wrinkled when she thought about how much it must stink down there. She doubted that a single man down there had seen a bath and a bar of soap in over a few weeks.

Adeline's mind began to wonder and thought it was a little ironic that the prison's name was 'Cold mountain penitentiary' when this was easily one of the hottest places she'd ever been. She laughed quietly to herself, thanking god himself for the concept of irony. She was quite fond of it after all. It was one of the only ways she found a reason to laugh in these hard times. The truck began to slow down as the reached the front of the prison. She heard the awful screech of metal as the gates were pulled open by two men, and she felt uneasy once more they rolled in. Dirt was kicked up by tires, and made it even harder to see exactly what she was being driven into. It finally came to a stop and the driver of the vehicle got out. The man heavier set, and he used a handkerchief to wipe the moisture from his palms and face. He was met by two men, both of whom were very tall. They both look over their thirties, a modest estimate, a more accurate guess probably being a decade or so senior to that, and they both donned neatly pressed guards uniforms. The one who had dark brown or possibly black hair spoke first. When he talked, all of the attention was on him. Adaline had a sneaking suspicion that he might just be the one in charge around here, as the driver, who way chatty enough with Mrs. Stanton on the drive over didn't once attempt to cut him off. The taller of the two, who had short grayish hair stayed silent until the end of the conversation. The pair nodded as the driver gestured to the women still in the vehicle. Adaline smoothed down the unruly ringlets of her curly, coffee brown hair which had a slight red tinge to it. She swallowed while scratching the skin on her hands, yet another one of her nervous habits.

She rubbed her thumb over the freshly made red marks. She'd never been much of a people person. Even when she was a little girl she had crippling shyness to her nature that she has never been able to break free from. Sure, some might say she had come out of her shell a little bit, but that was not the case at all. Yes, she was a nurse, but she didn't talk to the patients she had unless it was absolutely necessary. She would also make it a point to hide from the particularly chatty ones whenever she could. It's not like the majority of her patients could hold down a logical conversation anyways. They were all either doped out of their minds, or wouldn't stop blabbering how the government sent little aliens disguised as critters to poison their water. What more could really be expected of them though? She was a mental health nurse after all. Her fingertips were shaking slightly as she watched the men draw closer. There was yet another pat on her shoulder and a small smile before the older woman opened the door and greeted the two men. Adaline hesitantly followed. She made sure to stand behind Mrs. Stanton as the trio began to talk.

"Ladies," the brown haired man spoke "I'm not entirely sure what you may or may not have been already told, so I'm just going to go through everything. Let me speak, and then I'll answer any questions you may have after I'm done, is that clear?" He spoke in a kind, but firm voice. The mad waited for them to nod before continuing. "This is by far the most dangerous place in the entire prison, though that danger may seem less active. These men may not be in gangs, or have that mob mentality with the need to cause trouble at every turn, like down at C block, but the men who live here are cold blooded killers. They aren't your average thug. These men can be calculated, and dare I say they can even be smart. They know they are going to die, and there is nothing more unpredictable as a dying man. They, after all, have nothing to lose. They may seem docile, but if given the chance, they will not think twice about what harm they may cause to you. Taking that into consideration you will abide by some very important rules. You two have been chosen by the hospital to help assist the newest prisoner that has arrived here until he is transferred to Briar ridge. You will care to his needs, and that is all you are allowed to do. You may not approach any of the other cells, you may not touch or let any of the other inmates touch you. If there is a medical emergency you are to wait until our prison infirmary staff arrives. You are not to intervene unless it is life or death. You may talk to them, but nothing more than short replies to a talk they started, and that is it. You also may not have any close contact with the prisoner that you are caring for without one of us guards watching you. Any time you go onto the mile one of us must know that you are there. You are not to wander about, and you always walk down the center of the corridor. Do you understand?" The girls nodded their heads and the man smiled. "As one of you already knows, my name is Paul Edgecome, the boss of E block. This brick house of a man is Brutal Howell." Paul's teasing smile grew a little wider at the temporary look of fear that crossed the young woman's face at the latter's name. "Don't worry ma'am, that's just a nickname, one of the ironic kind. Brutus over here may look scary and intimidatin' but I assure you that he wouldn't hurt a fly. He is however a rather sore loser on poker night after a glass of whiskey."

"Would you quit making mountains out of molehills?" The larger of the two sighed out, jabbing the other man with his elbow. "The only time I ever got bent out of shape was when your sorry ass was cheating."

"Whatever you say, big man." She relaxed a little at the playful exchange and pushed her wire rimmed cat eye glasses up. "Now, come along, we don't have all day to waste." Staying at the back of the pack, she followed them inside the large building. The commotion of the prisoners out in the exercise yard was fading as the door shut behind them and an eerie silence began to take over. She kept her eyes on her feet, taking note of the thin layer of grime that had accumulated on the faded green floor. She wondered how long it had been since it was properly cleaned. From the smell that permeated in the air she could tell that the floor wasn't the only thing that hadn't been cleaned in a long time. She understood that these men behind bars were to be punished and have their privileges taken away for all of their bad deeds but still, a shower didn't seem too much to not only for the sake of those charged with the task of watching over them. What caused Adeline to finally look up however was the sound of Mrs. Stanton's platformed shoes smacking quickly across the floor. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when the other woman all but threw herself into the arms of a blonde, slightly wiry guard. She looked aghast when the older planted a big, lipstick transferring smooch on the man. It took her a solid ten seconds to pull away, and she noticed that his face was now about as red as the smudges around his lips. He gave an awkward smile to those around him, and brought his hand to the back of his head in embarrassment. Mrs. Stanton only giggled, and taped the bridge of his glasses.

"Adaline dear, this is my husband, Dean." She let out a small oh, before saying a quiet "Nice to meet you". Paul opened his mouth to speak after he let out a small chuckle at the embracing couple. "Young love." He smiled and shook his head. "That, as you were told is Dean. The older fella sittin' at the desk over there is Harry Twillenger." She followed Paul's point and her eyes landed on the man. Instead of looking at his eyes, she focused on the his bushy eyebrows. Adaline successfully held in a giggle at how much they reminded her of raccoon tails. She glanced back at Paul and observed that a sour look made its way onto his face as he heard the sound of someone's squeaky shoes. She looked over in the direction of the sound and saw another man walking towards them. "And that, whom I apologize you have the displeasure of meeting, is Percy Wetmore."

She looked over at the man. He had neatly slicked back dark hair, and swagger to his step. He wasn't the tallest, or the most muscled for that matter but he was lean and toned. A very attractive quality in her opinion. He had a nicely defined jaw and cheekbones, coupled with a baby face. He also had piercing blue eyes. A smirk made its way onto the young man's face. With a bite of his lower lip his eyes dragged down her form. The white uniform that she was wearing fit her like a glove; showing off her large bust, small waist, and hips that you could really grab onto. His eyes lingered there for a moment before looking back up at her face. It was slightly round. She had plump lips, and full eyebrows. Her glasses framed her face nicely. He was rather pleased with himself when he saw her look away from him hurriedly, a blush dusting her pale cheeks. "Percy." Paul warned, only earning yet another smirk and a raised eyebrow from the man. It's like he was challenging him to say another word. Paul was indeed about to speak again when he was called away by another guard to speak with the warden.

Something about arrangements for new inmates. The remaining men made themselves busy, for the most part that is. Harry was trying his damnedest to type a report out, cursing at the machine every once in awhile and hitting its sides, Brutal was organizing files, Dean and his wife were conversing, and Percy reading his magazine. He made sure to take glances at Adaline every now and then. She sat at an empty chair, not doing much but just staring at her finger. She felt like a fish out of water and she longed for a book. A sharp ringing noise broke through the almost silent mile, startling the people near it. Harry answered the phone after grabbing his chest in a dramatic fashion. He set in down after a moment of talking with whomever was on the other end of the line. "Percy, make yourself useful for once go to the infirmary. Bring back the boxes they need to store in the padded room." Harry prepared himself for the argument he always has when trying to get the boy to do anything.

Percy bit his cheek in contemplation for a moment. "Fine, but she" he paused, pointing to Adaline "is coming with me." Brutal spoke first, his face contorting in annoyance. "There is no way in hell that we're letting her go alone with the likes of you." He spat but Percy merely shrugged. "You get them then, Howell. I'm feeling mighty comfortable just where I am."  
"Percy, not everyone here is so concerned about your damn comfort. It's a prison job, go get the damn boxed."  
"You heard me, either she comes, or do it yourself. And, my uncle seems to care a lot about my comfort, and you should too. You like workin' here more than being out on the breadlines, don't ya? Because if you don't, I can make that little swap happen at the drop of a hat." Brutal's fists clenched Harry opened his mouth to object to Percy's demand as well, but Adaline shook her at him. She hated confrontation, and she opted to mutter an 'it's fine' before walking to stand next to Percy. He then stood and moved to the door. He pushed the heavy wood open for her, allowing her to exit first before throwing one last smirk at the other men and following suit. She followed him through the corridor and down up a flight of stairs. They had walked into an empty hallway when she was unexpectedly pushed onto the hard, dry wall. He turned to face her directly and he put his hands on both sides of her head. The boy leaned in so close to her that she could feel his hot breath on her face."You don't talk much, do you?" His voice dropped down a little lower. She shook her head no and he chuckled. "What's your name, sweetheart?" He asked, tilting his head forward a tad more. The already poor lighting flickered, making it look much darker in the room.

"A-Adaline" she stuttered. The girl pushed herself backwards in an attempt to sink into the stone behind her.

She had never been this close to a man before, and the short range between made her a little uncomfortable.

"Adaline, huh? How about I call you Addie instead?" His tone let her know it wasn't really a question. "Now, how long are you and that whack-job stayin' here, Addie? I want to know just how long I get to play with you." She gulped.

"Just until Briar ridge has an available spot." The smirk returned to his face, more prominent than it was before.

"Isn't that just a wonderful coincidence, I plan to transfer there myself." He moved his hand, and his fingers traced her jawline before pushing her chin up, forcing her to look Percy in the eyes. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red at that point, and her skin burned under his touch. "Cute." Percy murmured. He pushed himself from the wall and started to walk away. "Hurry up." He barked once he got to the next door, not bothering to look back at the slightly dazed woman.

Adaline scrambled off the wall, nearly tripping over herself when she jogged to catch up with him. He led her down a few more hallways before coming to a set of double doors which he pushed open. She looked around and noticed the walls were quite dirty. There was a single pane window, and a few men lying in beds that that they were handcuffed to. She also noted the strong smell of antiseptic and blood in the air. Other than that, there wasn't much to the place. She expected to at least see some staff fussing over a prisoner or two, but there wasn't a single worker in sight. There were three boxes stacked on top of each other placed in an empty gurney. It had a note reading "E-block" attached to it. She walked forwards and the girl reached to grab one of the boxes. Percy grabbed her wrist and clicked his tongue in a disapproving manner. "Now, what type of man would I be if I let a pretty little thing like you carry these heavy boxes all the way back to E block?" She didn't answer him, instead choosing to look at the slender fingers that were still enclosed around her wrist. He let her arm fall to her side back and picked up the boxes. "The thing is doll, with my hands full you'll have to walk in front of me to open the doors, can't say I mind. The view isn't half bad."

He winked at her before he sauntered right past her towards the exit. Percy nearly laughed his ass off at her dumbfounded expression. The walk back was almost completely silent save for the occasional stifled laughter on Percy's part. She pulled her skirt down slightly before she ventured up the stairs with Percy directly behind her. She could feel his eyes boring into her. Adeline's pink cheeks did not go unnoticed by the rest of the mile when they got back to their starting point. While Percy went to put the boxes away Mrs. Stanton, or Mary as Adeline learned, raised her eyebrow at the twenty four year old. She only averted her eyes to the floor.

Paul returned to the mile a short time after Percy took to reading his magazine again. An angry look plastered was plastered all over his face. He made a b line for the nurses. Mary looked up from her spot in the flustered Dean's lap and Adaline looked up from the patient file she was reading. Paul took a deep breath in and did his best to put on a more welcoming expression. "The warden is requesting that one of you ladies, considering your medical background, assist in tomorrow's pick up of a prisoner. With his" he paused "special circumstances, Hal believes it best."

"Does that mean actually go to pick him up?"

"Yes Mary, that is exactly what it means." His jaw clenched.

"Who is going on this pick up?" She asked, a curious look written all over her features.  
"Dean, Percy, Harry and a few floaters." A wicked grin found its way to Mary's face.  
"Why don't you go, Adaline? I think it'd be best for me to get Mr. Thompson settled into his cell." The younger narrowed her eyes at the woman. Something was up, she could tell by the lady's tone of voice. It had a hint of masked mischievousness. "I'm sure that Dean and Percy would _just love_ for you to join them. Isn't that right, Percy?" She asked, turning her body to look at him.  
"I wouldn't be opposed." Adaline could hear the smugness in his tone. 'Bastard', she thought. Mary was visibly pleased.  
"So, it's settled then?" She asked, a smile on still strong on her face.  
"I suppose it is." Paul nodded before walking away to get a drink of water. Dean squeezed lightly on his wife's arm to get her attention. He was wearing a confused expression. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Trust me, she needs this."


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: Hey guys, thank you to whoever is reading this. I would really appreciate if you left a comment. They give me motivation to keep writing. :-)

Paul came back onto the mile about ten minutes later, shaking his head and letting out a little chuckle at the newspaper that was in his hands. He made it to the desk and set it down just before a sharp ring sounded from the phone on the desk. With a smile still on his face, he picked it up. "E block." Adaline could hear murmuring from the other end of the line. "Yeah, we're ready for him." Mary looked up at the man, her hand still locked with her husband's. "Christ, can he walk on his own or will we have to carry the poor bastard?.. He can?.. Well, that's good. I'll send some of my men to get him." Paul set the phone down and looked over at the rest of the employees, his eyes coming to a stop at Adaline and Mary. "Well ladies, it looks like your patient just arrived. Dean and Harry, go help get him here. Marry, please go as well, from what I heard he's on so much medication that a long term client of an opium house would be jealous. Percy and Miss Williams, was it, go get his cell ready."

Paul tossed the key ring to Percy and the pair made their way over to the cell. It took Percy a moment to find the proper key before he slid open the metal bars. Adaline held a hospital like pair of linen sheets. She unfolded the cloth and lifted up old mattress with some difficulty and managed to make the bed in less than five minutes. "Mr. Wetmore, would you mind pushing in that cart that's outside of the cell? I'll need it when he gets here." He lifted his eyebrow but brought it in anyways.  
"What's it for?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"It just has his medications, and some restraints that Mary and I will put on him so he can't hurt himself when he wakes up. He has had some pretty violent episodes coming off of the drugs." He nodded and looked away. They heard the door shut and muffled voices from down the corridor. Adaline went to assist and Percy followed a few steps behind her. Adaline's foot caught on a piece of raised linoleum and she fell forwards. She expected to come into contact with either the floor or the wall but was quite surprised when a hand grabbed her arm and stabilized her.

Percy's eyes caught her's, and he smirked. "Hn, you know you'd think that you wouldn't trip as much as you do considering your eyes are on the floor. If that doesn't help you keep your balance you might as well look up. You look a whole lot better when a man can see more than the top of that pretty little head of yours." He winked, and let out an arrogant laugh at her flustered face. He let go of her arm only after he pulled the girl to the side to allow Mary to enter the cell with her patient. Percy went to stand next to his fellow guards outside of the cell, and Adaline went to retrieve the cloth restraints to replace his shackles. They guided the man to the bed and gently pushed him down into a lying position, strapping him down as he escaped into dreamland. As the door slide shut her fellow nurse bumped her hip and gave her a playful smile coupled with a glace thrown in the twenty one year old's direction.

Adaline was uncomfortable. Marry had been staring at her for the last thirty minutes, taking a glace at the dark haired boy every once in a while as well. That mixed with the darkening sky had her anxiety spiking. They had at least another hour on their shift, and Adaline couldn't wait to get home and hide beneath her covers. It had been quite the long day after all. they were taking periodic turns checking on the doped out Mr. Thompson. She didn't expect him to wake up for a long while considering all of the drugs that were pumped into his system. She felt nothing but pity for the forty year old man. He had completely lost his marbles, there was no debating that. He had killed ten different women all of which were pregnant. He had been seeing delusions of his late wife who was accompanied by a cat. He believed they were visiting him beyond the grave. They were talking to him about a whole world that was waiting for him. Where he would be king, a ruler. He was told by his wife that that in order to claim his leadership he must honor the gods by sacrificing his mortal wives that were baring his children.

He believed that by murdering these pregnant woman he was reuniting them with their other worldly love where they would raise the children in bliss. He is beyond lucky he did not get the chair. However, he was destined to spend the rest of his life being pocked and prodded in a cramped mental facility. What option would truly be better? That had always been a grey area to Adaline. She believed it was a bit hypocritical to kill someone for killing someone, because killing is wrong, but as she looked at the man who was passed out in front of her, she wondered if death would put the poor creature out of his misery. Living in a fantasy where your long dead wife was constantly telling you kill must have been horrible. She was pulled out her thoughts when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked over to see the face of a smiling Dean Stanton.

"I hate to bother you ma'am, but my wife would like me to invite you to diner tonight. She insists."  
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose." She said in a quiet  
"I am not taking no for an answer, little Missy." Mary's bubbly tone called from the other side of the corridor. "Besides, I am your ride home, you know." A small frown crossed the young woman's face but she was only met with smiles. When she made her way off the mile she was given no goodbye from Percy, only another lip bite and a glance over.

It was a silent ride to the Stanton house. They only thing cutting through the quietness was the increasingly loud thunder that came with the fast approaching storm. "Miss Wilson if the rain gets any harder i'm afraid I am going to insist that you stay the night. A road that wet can be extremely dangerous, and I don't want anyone getting hurt." Dean spoke, looking at the woman who was sitting in the back seat through the the rear-view mirror. She nodded and sighed, looking away from him as she was uncomfortable with the eye contact. They pulled into the dirt driveway of a decently sized house, a beautiful garden taking up at least a quarter of the front lawn. She saw a variety of flowers that added a splash of color to the landscape. "Don't worry, the kids are at their grandparent's house tonight. There won't be any little ones that will want to play games with you today. I'll make up the guest bedroom, the storm is getting too bad to go out in. If you follow me I can lend you one of my spare nightdresses, we don't want your uniform getting wrinkled, besides, it's much too hot to sleep in." She followed the woman to a room on the far left of the hallway.

"Now, I have a black one or a white one that you can use, which would you prefer?"  
"Whichever one you're not using Mrs. Stanton."  
"You can use the black one then." Adaline nodded and thanked the woman.  
"So, that Percy boy and you seem to be getting along pretty well, don't you think?" Her tone was pleasant, too pleasant. The type someone would use when they were trying to get the latest gossip material, and that always leads to trouble. Always. "I am afraid I am not sure what you're talking about." She answered curtly, scratching slightly at the back of her hands, an action that made the older smile knowingly. "Oh? Well Brutal is much more handsome anyways.."  
"No he isn't." She answered quickly. Her hand clamped over her mouth, cheeks tinging pink. The older gave her a mischievous smile.  
"He isn't?" Adaline opted to stay quiet so her mouth wouldn't continue digging her own grave. "The guest room is that door on the right, why don't you go set that gown down and meet me in the kitchen." Adaline agreed and walked away. Mary made her way to her husband, wrapping an arm around his middle and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Don't push her too hard, she's rather coy so talking doesn't come easy to her."  
"I won't."

Diner was plated quickly, and Adaline made sure to thank her hosts before she started to eat."Tomorrow, Miss Wilson, is going to be a standard prisoner transfer. As long as you stay by us you guards you will be completely safe. The prisoner will be in shackles. So you don't need to worry, ma'am." The nurse nods. "There is, um, just one little hiccup." He added in a rushed tone, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Her face scrunched in confusion.  
"H-hiccup?" He looked at her she sheepishly.  
"Well, uh, you'll be able to have your own seat on the way there, however with the prisoner we'll be a spot short. Paul also doesn't want you in back with an inmate so you unfortunately will have to borrow the lap of the front passenger since you are the only lady." He paused, looking at her with an even guiltier expression. "And, you see since, um, Percy is the smallest guard we thought that he should do it, so you'd have more room up there." She looked at him in horror. "We already asked him and he said he was fine with it."

"Who is this 'we'?"  
"Mary and I, it was her idea to ask Percy." He added the last part of his sentence swiftly. Adaline looked back down at her plate. The rest of the dinner was eaten was eaten in a semi-awkward silence as only Mary seemed to find the humor the situation. The only sounds being an occasional scrap against a plate courtesy of a fork and muffled giggles coming from the older woman who had consumed one too many glasses of wine. She thanked the couple before she retired to the guest room. She slowly slid off her shoes and stripped herself of the nurses attire she was wearing. She folded it neatly before picking up the night time garment and slipped it over head.

Even though it was raining outside, that did not mean it would be cool by any means. It was still rather hot so Adaline choose to sleep only under the sheet. Her mind started to wander to the interesting encounter she had today. She closed her eyes and she could almost feel his fingertips on her face once again. A small shiver ran down her spine when she imagined those fingers ghosting to the back of her neck. For a split second she allowed herself to guess if his lips were as soft as they looked. That proved to be a dangerous train of thought as she was blushing once again, shaming herself for her the immoral path her mind wondered down. The last thing she repeated in her head that night before she feel asleep was his words. _"I want to know how long I can play with you."_ Her dreams were plagued with images and situations that were downright sinful, the center of them being that boy. She woke feeling sensitive, uncomfortable, and mortified. Ashamed that her mind could think up what played out in her dreams.

After the bed she used was made and she was redressed in her uniform, she folded up her sleep wear and put it atop the dresser. Her hair, she noted, was extremely bouncy that morning, the curls moving up and down with her every step. There was a knock on the closed door. "Adaline, are you awake?" Mary's gentle  
"Yes, I am. You can come in if you'd like." The door opened and she was greeted with a smiling  
"Would you like me to put your hair in a braided bun? It will be cooler for you that way."  
"If you wouldn't mind." She was led out of the room into the living area where she was instructed to sit on the sofa while Mary retrieved a two ties for her hair, and some bobby pins. She watched as she walked out of her bedroom, giving him a small kiss before telling him to go make some breakfast. She winced slightly as the brush tugged harshly on a knot that formed in her hair.

It took about ten minuets for her hair to be completely styled. She thanked the woman and they all ate a small, but good meal. It wasn't a long drive back to the prison, but she was dreading every second of it. She didn't think she would be able to face Percy, let alone sit in his lap for an entire drive. Dean gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "You'll be fine." She gave him a small smile but didn't respond. They walked into the block and she was cautious to walk in a straight line down the middle of the floor. She isn't paying much attention to the people talking around her until two fingers snap her out oh her trance. "Hey, four eyes, you listenin'?" She opened her mouth to respond but no words came out. He scoffed, and rolled his eyes.

"I'll take that as a no. We're leaving in five so you better get your ass out to that truck before we leave you. You're sittin' in the back." He rolled his eyes at her confused face and pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose before placing the pad of her finger on the center of her forehead, pushing her head back. "Hurry up." He started walking away, she jogged after him as the others had already left. "I d-don't know where I'm g-going though!"  
"Walk faster then because I am not waiting around for you." He called back in a snarky tone, taking a left turn in the hall way that lead outside. She hurried to catch up with the she made her way to the truck she was ushered into the back of it, and internally sighed when she was pushed to sit between Percy and the metal of the vehicle.

He spoke to her first. "We're going to the county hospital to pick up the inmate. He is very dangerous, and has a history of killing women. You are not to go near him, you hear?" She nods at him, trying her hardest not to look to look him in the eyes. "Good." Dean and his other co worker glance at each other, raising a questioning eyebrow at the twenty one year old's sudden concern for the well being of anyone but himself.

Dean and some of the others chat about random topics ranging from baseball to Mae West. At the mention of another women however the married man was quick to keep his mouth shut in slight fear whatever he says will be reported back to his wife. They hit a large divot in the road, and Adaline grabed the first thing she could to help stabilize her, and that happened to the upper part of Percy's right thigh. She froze at the feeling of skin underneath the fabric, hand still resting there. "My, my. You feelin' a little handsy today aren't ya, Addie?" She pulled her hand away the she was scalded with hot water.  
"I am so sorry." She sputtered, as she quickly became the color of a ripe tomato. He looks amused, a calculating smirk on his baby face, clearly enjoying the girl's frantic state in front of him. "Don't worry about it sweetheart." She hid her face in her hands, and the guards were trying not well enough to hold in their chuckles. She remainder tense for the remainder of the trip, not bothering to peek between her fingers.

The long ride ended about twenty minuets later. The men started getting out from the back of the truck one by one once the doors were opened. Once Percy was out, he extended his hand out for the woman, which she took, and placed his other on her waist to help her out safely. She thanked him, color threatening to once again make an appearance against her pale features. The pair walked quietly at the back of the group and made sure to hold open the doors for her. Something struck Dean as he leaned over to whisper to his friend. "Did he call her Addie earlier?"  
"Why, yes, I believe that he did. What do you suppose that means?"  
"I don't know." The glanced back at the two. Percy gave them an annoyed look read and asked them what they wanted, to which they replied 'nothing' far too fast.

Before he could ask anymore questions the group was met by a doctor. "I assume that you are here to pick up William Wharton?"  
"Yes, we-"  
"Very well, the room does have a capacity limit, two of you will have to wait in an empty patients room. We don't need you scaring the patients." The guards exchanged looks and scoffed. "Ain't he just an afternoon delight?"  
"No kidding." They followed the middle aged man to an empty bay.  
"The two of you can wait here, the rest of you follow me." The doctor tapped his foot impatiently.

"We can stay." Percy offered, gesturing to Adaline as  
"Great." The man interrupted, cutting of Dean before he had the chance to speak. "The rest of you come. Now." As they walked away, the pair could hear the doctor rattling on about the prisoners condition. She looked around for a moment before spying an empty hospital bed and went to rest on it. She noticed that Percy was staring at her, an look she didn't quite recognize. She followed his gaze and noticed that her skirt had ridden up to her mid thigh. Her eyes widened and quickly moved to pull it back down, but a hand on her wrist prevented her from doing so. "What are you-" Adaline was pushed down onto her back. He was hovering over her in an instant, lips sailing dangerously close to her ear. One of his hands was on the side of her head, the other was at the back of her knee, slowly trailing up her leg. "You look so beautiful today, no need to hide."

His moving hand came to stop on her hip, thumb rubbing small circles right above the bone. Her face burned, a very dark blush spreading across her skin . She unconsciously leaned into his touch. He chuckled at the action. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?" He gripped her waist tightly and pulled her closer to him. She felt his breath on the side of her neck, which made her squirm slightly though she made no attempt to push him away. "I really would like to play with you." His voice was deeper than it normally was. The closeness of his body coupled with the hand on her hip and the way he was speaking to her caused an unfirmilair feeling to surface just below her stomach. "Would you like to play with me too?" A thumb ran over her lower lip before he tilted her chin up causing their faces to become no more than an inch apart. He started to lean in ever so slightly when voice stopped him.

"Percy, Adaline, can you go open the back of the truck up? This bastard is so doped he can barely walk, we have to practically drag him." Dean called from down the hall, far away from the room that was occupied by the two youngest of the group. With a huff, Percy pulled away from her and yanked Adaline to her feet. "Yeah." It was a struggle for the men to get the prisoner into the truck, them having to pick him up and all but toss him into the back, drool from his mouth getting on at least two of the guards jackets.  
With yet another roll of his eyes Percy went to the passengers seat. Once he was settled he help Adaline up, having to pull her down, once the driver unexpectedly took off, so she wouldn't fall out of the door-less transporter. She was a tad uncomfortable from the sudden change in levels, so she wriggled around in his lap to get into a better position. After a few moments of that he sucked a sharp breath in and clenched his jaw. Both of his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her into his chest to still her movements. "Stop moving." His voice was slightly shaky, and she once again heard that unfamiliar tone."Why?"

"Because you're," He paused, his anger threatening to bubble over. "Just, stop it." A confused look crossed over her face and the man driving snorted, he made a poor to hide it with a cough. She moved again only to stop when she felt something press against her thigh. She was even more confused, he had taken his duty belt off and it was sitting on the dash board in front of them, so what could be pocking..."Oh."

"Yeah." He said awkwardly.


	3. Chapter 3

Percy kept his arm around her middle, and head resting on her shoulder. A couple of times Adaline believed that Percy had fallen asleep, but she was proven wrong every time the hit a bump. He winced slightly when she came into contact with the reason he had her stop squirming in his lap, though that problem seemed to die down after about twenty minuets. She noticed how soft his hair felt, like a girl's. He had better hair than her, and she was very envious of it. Hell, even Mary had made some comments about last night as well. Adaline could also feel the young man's abdominal muscles that were being pressed against her back. They were firm, but not overly solid. She enjoyed that feeling more than she would have liked to admit.

She noticed the other man, Jack, would glance at them every few moments. He would focus on the boy, looking at his relaxed posture. For once he saw Percy look comfortable. That was a sight Jack had never witnessed before. The only times he really saw the boy was when he had his tiffs with the other guards. Percy always appeared huffy and puffy to him, always looked agitated. Jack smiled at the young woman when she caught his gaze, and he turned back to watch the road in front of him. Adaline closed her eyes and leaned back slightly. She sighed and wrapped her fingers around his wrist. She didn't know what else to do with her hands. She thought the way he would nuzzle into crook of her neck when he finally did come close to sleeping was endearing. His grip tightened on her ever so slightly as well. When Jack looked back over at them, the scene reminded him of a child holding their teddy bear. Innocent was never a word he would have used to describe Percy until that moment.

It took a little while longer to finally get back to the prison. When they approached the parking area Adaline took one of his hands in hers and squeezed it gently. "Hey, Mr. Wetmore, we're here." He gave a small sigh that only she heard."You can call me Percy, you know. Everybody else does." His voice was slightly muffled as his head was still resting on her body. She opened her mouth to respond but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the older man in the vehicle. "And here I was thinking you were the _stiff_ one, Percy.""At least I still _can_ get stiff, Jack."

Adaline promptly let out a loud giggle before before she whipped her hand up to cover her mouth. Percy liked it. She had a loud laugh that brought a genuine smile to his face when he saw the way her nose scrunched up. Jack went silent, jaw clenched and his hands gripped at the wheel so tightly his knuckles were white. The twenty one year old was quite pleased with the entire situation. After a few moments the girl composed herself and leaned back into Percy once more before she pushed herself up to stand. She bit her her cheek in a failed attempt to smile off her face when he grasped her hand lightly to make sure she excited the car safely before following after her. The trio made their way to the back of the truck. Percy stopped Adaline when she was about a foot or so away and told her to stay put. They opened the door slowly, the metal making a loud creaking sound. The prisoner was hoisted up onto his feet, causing the long string of drool that was hanging from his mouth to swing onto Dean's jacket sleeve. The crew cut man grimaced.

He stumbled around, seeming completely out of it. He made Adaline feel uneasy. She took a few more steps back and watched the men practically carry him to the ground. A short time later they started walking to the block. Percy and Addie walked in the front, Wharton directly behind them with two guards flanked on either side of him. Jack and the other guards had wandered off, having 'more pressing matters to attend to'. Percy opened the door and stepped through. They heard the chain move first, and turned around in time to see the prisoner's elbow collide with Dean's nose, sending the man out of the open door. The floater had stepped back in shock, he too tripped outside and landed flat on his ass. He lunged for the nurse, but she was pushed away by the twenty one year old. Before anyone could bat an eye, Percy was knocked off of his feet. He hit the side of his head on the corner of the desk before landed on his knees. The shackles wrapped around his neck, cutting off all of his oxygen. Wharton's laugh was crazed when he tightened the chains around the boy's neck. Percy felt a piece of jagged metal dig into the lower part of his chest as he was pushed closer to the ground, his ankles were forced in unnatural directions. One of his wrists was awkwardly crushed by the man on top of him while his other hand clawed at the restraints, his vision was slightly distorted by the trickle of blood that fell into his right eye.

"Hit him, hit him!"Adaline was watched in horror and shock took over the faces of the others on the mile. "Hit him goddamn it!" Paul yelled at both the floater and Dean who were still sat on the ground outside. They didn't move. Paul was still yelling at them when Brutal surged forward and hit the prisoner in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. Brutal pulled the prisoner's slumped form off of the boy once he removed the chains from under his neck. Percy gasped for air, breathing erratically and coughing. Paul turned his attention to the girl. "You didn't check if he was doped? You're the nurse, that is your damn job!""I wasn't allowed to see him! And they-" she pointed in Dean's direction, "told me he was." She yelled back"Paul I swear to god we thought he was doped. We went with the doc and they had to wait outside. He was drooling like a baby and wasn't responsive, we had to practically drag him truck We even had to dress him for god's sake. All of us thought he was, didn't we?" Harry asked and looked over to Dean for some reassurance."Yes sir, we did.""You always ask if he's doped, you hear?" Paul yelled back, he took a breath and composed himself. "This is a mistake I trust that you won't make again."

Mary moved to crouch next to the boy. "Jesus, Percy, you're bleeding." She brushed back the stands of hair that had fallen into his face before she wiped the blood away from his eye. "How many fingers am I holding up?""Four." He croaked and his breathing was still heavy."Good." She moved her fingers down to his neck, pushing on it slightly to feel if any of his bones were broken. After all, it only takes eleven pounds of pressure to crush someone's larynx and that isn't hard to generate at all with a large chain. He winced when she pressed against a bruise that began to blossom on his neck. She could see where each of the links of the chain had been on his neck as it left a purple string of ovals across the expanse of his skin. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt that nothing was broken. That was when she saw something that made her anxiety raise back up several notches.

There was a large crimson stain on the front of Percy's white shirt that only seemed to grow. "Adaline, get me the kit." She didn't receive a response. "Now Adaline." The other girl was still shaken but managed to get her hands on it. She muttered an okay before she quickly grabbed the first aid kit from the desk and walked to Mary with it in her hands. She froze when she spied the blood stain on his front. "Christ." She whispered and let the item be pulled from her hands. That got the attention of the others in the. "What? What's wrong him?" A chorus of voices suddenly went off, causing Percy to remember how crowed the room truly was. How small he was to the rest of them in comparison. "Percy, I am going to have to take off your shirt." He recoiled when her hands moved to his top button.

"N-no." He stuttered out and she felt a pang of sympathy strike at her heart when he seemed to shrink when he met the gaze of his superiors. Paul spoke first to him first. "Percy, you're bleeding from your chest, you have to take it off." He was spoke as if he was talking to a child. Brutal swiftly agreed and Percy's eyes closed. He felt too tired fight. Mary popped the buttons out of place and she let the fabric fall to the floor. She peeled off the soaked undershirt and let it hit the ground as well. She soaked a piece of gauze in rubbing alcohol and be began to dab where the blood came from. Mary found a gash about two inches long. She waited until the bleeding slowed down before she bandaged it. "There, that should help."

"Girls, Harry, please take him down to the infirmary to have him checked out. Dean, you write up the incident report. This is not a story, the warden won't appreciate you drawing out the suspense. Brutal and Jeffery throw the bastard in his cell." Paul sighed and shook his head. His hand went up to rest on his sweat covered forehead. Harry grasped Percy's hands and pulled him to his feet. He took the younger's arm and placed it around his shoulder. Harry also placed his own arm around the boy's waist, Mary did the same on the other side. Adaline followed close behind with his discarded clothing in hand. They went down the stairs with some difficulty. The walk seemed longer to Adaline than it had the previous day, but she figured that maybe it only appeared that way because it wasn't as dire. Every step she took allowed guilt to mount higher in her stomach. Her hands shook eyes stayed glued to the floor. She only looked up when she heard the doors to the infamy. "Is there a doctor in here?" Mary called out as they walked to an empty gurney and helped Percy sit down on it.

"Yes, I'm in the office."  
"Would you mind coming out here?"  
"I need just a minute,"  
"I think it best that you come out here now."  
"I told you-"  
"And I told you now. We have a guard who was just attacked by a prisoner." That got his attention and he was in front of the group within seconds. His face dropped when he saw Percy. He walked in front of the boy, his stethoscope in hand. "What happened?" He asked while he checked the boy's heart and lungs."We were walking a prisoner in that we thought was drugged. He wasn't, and he ended up chocking Percy with his chains. He also hit his head pretty hard on the desk when they fell over." He checked the boy's neck and the small cut on his forehead as well. He cleaned it before he turned his attention the the bandage on his chest.

"Has this been cleaned?" Mary responded with a nod of yes and the doctor gave Percy a smile. "Well son, you are mighty lucky. Your neck is intact. It will likely be bruised for awhile, as will that little part of your head. Your wrist is sprained, and it will have to be wrapped. With some pain medication and some rest you'll be good as new. Why don't you lie down for a spell?" Percy nodded and did so. "Could one of you ladies wrap his arm for me? I am sure Mr. Edgecomb would like me to comment in the report. The Medication you'll need to give him is in the cabinet to your left. Here are the keys to unlock it." He tossed the keys to Mary and left the room."Adaline, take care of his arm please, I'll allocate the dosages for him."

"I am so sorry, Percy." She told him while she handled his arm as delicately as possible."Don't apologize"

Paul's hands went up to his temples as he looked at the telephone in front of him. "Well boys, I suppose we have a call to make to the Governor's office." Brutal scoffed, and shook his head. "No sir, Boss man. The only person making a call here is you." Brutal pushed the phone towards his friend, and Paul sighed deeply. He picked and slowly started to dial. "Yes, hello. Would you please patch me over to the Governor's office. Yes, I realize that he is a busy man, however this is something of a family emergency." Paul sighed deeply once more and shook his head. ''This isn't going to be pretty."

"This is Paul Edgecomb, I work on E block as your nephew's supervisor. I am calling to inform you of an incident that happened earlier today. Percy was attacked today by a prisoner. He- yes, yes he will be alright. I sent him to the infirmary right after it happened, and I will be sending him home after he is finished getting checked out." Paul pulled the phone away from his ear, and the men that were clustered around him could hear the man on the other line yelling. He put the phone back up to his head. "Yes, I know that was unacceptable. Yes, it will never happen. I assure you that it will never happen again." The phone call was ended for him. Paul saw the doctor walking down the corridor and stood to meet him.

"How is he?""He will be fine, banged up and bruised, but fine." Paul let out a sigh of relief, and shook his head."Well, we might be able to keep our jobs after all." He walked back with the doctor to the infirmary. Paul wanted to check up on him one more time before sending him off. He felt his heart tighten when he saw Percy. Though he could be a pain in the ass, all Paul saw was his own son in that moment. Without too many more words he sent the boy home. Paul asked Adeline to accompany him, and she agreed.

When they reached his car, which looked rather Pricey, (it almost looked like a car a racer wold drive, and it was a shiny candy apple red) he suggested that if she would rather go home she could drive herself their, and then he could drive himself back to his own house. "Absolutely not, you very well saved my life today, the least I can do is cook you a nice diner, and make sure your bandages are clean." He was about to disagree, but he decided to keep his mouth shut after the look she gave him. He was rather uncomfortable the whole ride to his house, only speaking to give directions. It hurt to breath, it hurt to move, and it even hurt to talk. Adaline told him that once they got to his house she would fix something small for him to have with his pills before she made the dinner. She also informed him the only thing he was allowed to do once they got there was lie down to which he rolled his eyes, though he knew he only had enough energy left in him to do exactly that. It didn't take long too long for the drive to be complete. Adaline was taken aback by the size of the estate, she hadn't seen someone live in a place quite this big before. "Do you live here by yourself?"

"Not exactly, a few years back my nanny's house was seized and destroyed along with many other black houses so I let her move into one of the cottages I have at the back of the property. I couldn't let the woman who raised me live on the streets, now could I? She isn't here at the moment however, her sister in Chicago passed away recently so left to go to the funeral. She keeps me company, but other than her, yes, I live alone." Adaline nodded, and made her way into the house with him. Watching him closely making sure he didn't fall. "You sir, need to go lie down."

"My bedroom is upstairs, I can get there by myself, make yourself comfortable I suppose. The kitchen is on your left if you need anything, and there is a telephone there as well if you need to call anyone."

"Thank you, now get going before I drag you up there myself." He let out a small laugh and started up the staircase. She heard him say something under his breath, something about sounding like Mama L, whoever that was. A photo on the wall caught her eye, it was of a dark skinned woman holding a little white boy, presumably Percy. She had a bright smile of her face, as did the boy he look no older then four. She looked around the house for a bit and noticed something strange, the only photos he had up where ones of her with him occasionally in them as well. "Where is his family?" She thought about asking him but decided against it.

She made her way into the kitchen, opening the icebox to see what she could inside of it for dinner. To her surprise, she found a cooked chicken with a note that said em'While I'm gone- Mama L'. A grin broke out onto her face as she looked around and found everything she needed to make a nice chicken soup. They fix everything, she thought as she gathered the ingredients and placed them on the counter tops. She found the knifes and pots after a few more minutes of searching. She was on autopilot at that point, having made the dish so many times before she didn't have to put much thought into it. Her mind found its way back to thinking about Percy. He baffled her. He was obviously well off, so why would he be working in a prison as grungy as the one they worked at, or at any prison really. Most puzzling of all however being the lack of photos of anyone in his family. She had never seen that before. Once everything was assembled properly, she moved it to the stove to cook. It would take a while.

She also fixed two pieces of toast and a glass of water which she placed on a nearby tray. She took two of the pills out of the bag and placed the capsules close to his water. With the tray in her hands, along with a fresh set of bandages, she followed path she him take earlier. She found him sleep on his bed with something she couldn't quite make out held tightly against his chest. She set the food down on nightstand and sat down next to Percy. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, and Adaline noticed for the first time the band of lightly colored freckles that stretched across the bridge of his nose. Adaline pushed the hair that had fallen onto his forehead back with the rest of his hair. His eyelids fluttered open, he looked up to her with confused eyes. "Sh, go back to sleep Percy." She leaned down and placed a tender kiss to his forehead and stood up to leave the room. She was stopped when he grabbed her wrist.

"Wait, please don't go yet. I-" He paused, his voice wavering a bit, "I don't want to be alone right now." She was quiet for a moment, before agreeing to stay, tentatively settling down next to the younger boy on the bed. He fell back asleep after a while and curled next to her placing his head on her chest, arms around her. She brought her hand up to rub soothing patterns on the back of his neck, smiling when he let out a sound of content. She felt her own eyelids get heavy and slowly drifted off to sleep as well.


End file.
